Questions Answered And Other Things
Argh, I had just about finished this post and went to save it when bastard Blogger crapped out on me and I lost it all. Figures. Everything else in my life is crap, why not this?
Anyhoo, I know I've been gone awhile, but I've been in the same place I usually am when you don't hear from me for a few days...weeks...whatever. I headed into my downward spiral and ended up in my dark place. I honestly am just popping up today for a bit of fresh air and to kill some monotony, I'll be going back down shortly. Things suck, but you know what? Fuck it. I should know by now that happiness in my life is always fleeting. In fact, every time I'm happy, I should really be pissed, because that means that I'm going to be twice as miserable very soon. I've decided I'm not meant to be happy. Plain and simple. Oh fucking well.
Moving on, I promised answers to any questions my readers chose to ask. So, by the grand tally of questions I have, I see that I have 2 readers. More than I actually thought. So...here's your no bullshit answers guys.
Question #1 was asked about a hundred times in a row (by accident...or so he says) by my co-worker Joe. He wanted to know what I thought the minimum wage should be across the country. Well, to get straight to the point, I don't rightly know. I mean, on the one hand, I want to see people who can't get any job but one that pays minimum wage to make more money, so that they will rely less on government assistance and can make a better life for their families. However, I don't want to see small businesses close their doors, or items that are necessities going up in price because businesses can't afford to pay a higher rate. I also don't want to see our taxes go up because the government has to get involved in order for these wages to be paid. It's a tough call. Which is why I will never run for office. Well, that and the porcupine scandal of '93. Don't even ask.
Question #2 was from fellow writer, and good friend, Matt Warner (go to his website NOW at www.matthewwarner.com). He wanted to know what I thought of his first article over at Horrorworld (go there NEXT at www.horrorworld.org heh) and my opinions on the subjects of genre stereotyping, the purpose of storytelling, and the meaning of horror fiction? (Oh, Matt, as to your first question about Joe having some kind of problem, yes he does, we just don't know what it is yet. heh)
Ok, genre stereotyping is easy. I have no tolerance for it. Vampires, werewolves, serial killers...they've been done to death. That's not saying I wouldn't enjoy a story or book about one. It would just have to bring about a different spin on the topic, do something completely new, and give me a reason to turn each page. A good example is Brian Keene's THE RISING. Yes, readers of this blog know he's a close friend, but that doesn't make his novel any less amazing. His novel is about zombies. Yes, a tired and old vessel of horror. However, he does things with zombies that I had never read about before. He transformed them into something new. On top of that, as you get into the novel, you realize that although it may take place in a post-apocalyptic world infested with the living dead, it isn't just a zombie book. It's about the bond between a son and father, the strength of the human spirit, and how man can be scarier than the monsters. (oh yeah....time to go HERE now. heh)
Ok, next, let's cover the purpose of storytelling. That one makes me think a bit more. I guess for me, storytelling has been something I've loved being a part of (whether as the teller or the audience) since I was a kid. I think most people need entertainment, need to be taken out of their usual surroundings, every now and again. It's good for one's sanity. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy...yes? What the art of storytelling does is pluck a person right out of their reality and put them down in another's. Where they can explore and do things they would never normally do...knowing that when it's over they will be put safely back into their own world. Here they can be the hero...or the villain. They can be terrified, heartbroken, exhilarated...whatever, and be able to go back to normal without a scratch or mental scar. However, if the storyteller really does their job, that person will carry what they went through with them and remember it for a long time to come.
The meaning of horror fiction? Piggybacking off my last comment, I'd say it is again, to entertain, to take someone out of their comfort zone long enough to show them a world they've never known. Only in these worlds the storytellers play on the reader's fear. You can put them into the mind of an evil force...or an innocent victim. Ever since there have been stories, there have been horror stories. Some people just love a good scare. Maybe it's because they know that it's a safe way to be scared. There isn't really an axe wielding maniac behind them...but their adrenaline acts as if there is. It's a way to get pumped without risking life and limb.
Well, those are my humble opinions. Thanks to Matt and Joe for participating. If I actually have any other readers out there...give yourself 50 lashes for being too shy to play along.
In other news...
One other topic to cover, then I'll put this mammoth post to bed. I have sunk to the lowest level of my life. I have bought a minivan. Close your mouths, pick yourselves off the floor...JOE, STOP SNICKERING, and listen to me. I have a nine-year-old and a seven-month-old. The Honda was too tiny to fit a ginormous carseat, my daughter, and all the crap that comes along with kids. I needed something bigger. I needed something cheap. What I found was a 1998 Plymouth Voyager for only $4200 and only 81,300 miles on it. The Honda was a '94 and had almost 150,000 miles on it. So I did it. It drives nice, there's plenty of room, and I like the color. My daughter loves it, I fit right in at her school, and Andre's seat fits nicely. It's amazing what you do for your kids. I'm willing to live with the shame and embarrassment of being a minivan owner for my kids. Go ahead. Let the mockery commence.
Well, that's all for now. Don't know when my next post will be. I'm dealing with someone I thought was a good friend ditching me, a tense time in my household, and the myriad stressors that come with the season. Hope you all are doing much better than I.
~Later
Anyhoo, I know I've been gone awhile, but I've been in the same place I usually am when you don't hear from me for a few days...weeks...whatever. I headed into my downward spiral and ended up in my dark place. I honestly am just popping up today for a bit of fresh air and to kill some monotony, I'll be going back down shortly. Things suck, but you know what? Fuck it. I should know by now that happiness in my life is always fleeting. In fact, every time I'm happy, I should really be pissed, because that means that I'm going to be twice as miserable very soon. I've decided I'm not meant to be happy. Plain and simple. Oh fucking well.
Moving on, I promised answers to any questions my readers chose to ask. So, by the grand tally of questions I have, I see that I have 2 readers. More than I actually thought. So...here's your no bullshit answers guys.
Question #1 was asked about a hundred times in a row (by accident...or so he says) by my co-worker Joe. He wanted to know what I thought the minimum wage should be across the country. Well, to get straight to the point, I don't rightly know. I mean, on the one hand, I want to see people who can't get any job but one that pays minimum wage to make more money, so that they will rely less on government assistance and can make a better life for their families. However, I don't want to see small businesses close their doors, or items that are necessities going up in price because businesses can't afford to pay a higher rate. I also don't want to see our taxes go up because the government has to get involved in order for these wages to be paid. It's a tough call. Which is why I will never run for office. Well, that and the porcupine scandal of '93. Don't even ask.
Question #2 was from fellow writer, and good friend, Matt Warner (go to his website NOW at www.matthewwarner.com). He wanted to know what I thought of his first article over at Horrorworld (go there NEXT at www.horrorworld.org heh) and my opinions on the subjects of genre stereotyping, the purpose of storytelling, and the meaning of horror fiction? (Oh, Matt, as to your first question about Joe having some kind of problem, yes he does, we just don't know what it is yet. heh)
Ok, genre stereotyping is easy. I have no tolerance for it. Vampires, werewolves, serial killers...they've been done to death. That's not saying I wouldn't enjoy a story or book about one. It would just have to bring about a different spin on the topic, do something completely new, and give me a reason to turn each page. A good example is Brian Keene's THE RISING. Yes, readers of this blog know he's a close friend, but that doesn't make his novel any less amazing. His novel is about zombies. Yes, a tired and old vessel of horror. However, he does things with zombies that I had never read about before. He transformed them into something new. On top of that, as you get into the novel, you realize that although it may take place in a post-apocalyptic world infested with the living dead, it isn't just a zombie book. It's about the bond between a son and father, the strength of the human spirit, and how man can be scarier than the monsters. (oh yeah....time to go HERE now. heh)
Ok, next, let's cover the purpose of storytelling. That one makes me think a bit more. I guess for me, storytelling has been something I've loved being a part of (whether as the teller or the audience) since I was a kid. I think most people need entertainment, need to be taken out of their usual surroundings, every now and again. It's good for one's sanity. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy...yes? What the art of storytelling does is pluck a person right out of their reality and put them down in another's. Where they can explore and do things they would never normally do...knowing that when it's over they will be put safely back into their own world. Here they can be the hero...or the villain. They can be terrified, heartbroken, exhilarated...whatever, and be able to go back to normal without a scratch or mental scar. However, if the storyteller really does their job, that person will carry what they went through with them and remember it for a long time to come.
The meaning of horror fiction? Piggybacking off my last comment, I'd say it is again, to entertain, to take someone out of their comfort zone long enough to show them a world they've never known. Only in these worlds the storytellers play on the reader's fear. You can put them into the mind of an evil force...or an innocent victim. Ever since there have been stories, there have been horror stories. Some people just love a good scare. Maybe it's because they know that it's a safe way to be scared. There isn't really an axe wielding maniac behind them...but their adrenaline acts as if there is. It's a way to get pumped without risking life and limb.
Well, those are my humble opinions. Thanks to Matt and Joe for participating. If I actually have any other readers out there...give yourself 50 lashes for being too shy to play along.
In other news...
One other topic to cover, then I'll put this mammoth post to bed. I have sunk to the lowest level of my life. I have bought a minivan. Close your mouths, pick yourselves off the floor...JOE, STOP SNICKERING, and listen to me. I have a nine-year-old and a seven-month-old. The Honda was too tiny to fit a ginormous carseat, my daughter, and all the crap that comes along with kids. I needed something bigger. I needed something cheap. What I found was a 1998 Plymouth Voyager for only $4200 and only 81,300 miles on it. The Honda was a '94 and had almost 150,000 miles on it. So I did it. It drives nice, there's plenty of room, and I like the color. My daughter loves it, I fit right in at her school, and Andre's seat fits nicely. It's amazing what you do for your kids. I'm willing to live with the shame and embarrassment of being a minivan owner for my kids. Go ahead. Let the mockery commence.
Well, that's all for now. Don't know when my next post will be. I'm dealing with someone I thought was a good friend ditching me, a tense time in my household, and the myriad stressors that come with the season. Hope you all are doing much better than I.
~Later
posted by Meghan at 2:37 PM
1 Comments:
hey sweetie! on your depression - you are an artist - we all know that most of our great artists are fucked up head cases. i guess it comes with the territory. i was just reading some sylvia plath so when i read your post it made me laugh - she also suffererd from spirals of depression & had 2 kids. but she was a hell of a writer. of course, she also wound up with her head in the oven at 31! (....don't even think about it!:) ) anyway, try not to think of your depression as something that makes you unhappy - think of it as fuel for your creative talents. i'm totally proud of you. have a good thanksgiving & tell your family i said "hi!". cheers, melanie
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